The story of Peaky Blinders begins in 1919. The opening series is set in Birmingham several months after the First World War, following Tommy Shelby and the Peaky Blinders as they expand their criminal operations in Small Heath.
The date matters because the returning soldiers shape the show’s world. Tommy, Arthur Shelby and Freddie Thorne are war veterans, while the family’s business grows amid post-war unemployment, political unrest and widespread trauma. The first series also revolves around stolen weapons, police investigations and disputes over horse-racing pitches.
A common mix-up is confusing the show’s starting date with later seasons. Series 2 begins in 1921, series 3 takes place in 1924, and series 5 is set around the Wall Street Crash in 1929. The real Peaky Blinders gang existed earlier, but the television story is a fictional drama beginning in 1919.